Method of making a brush



June 1, 1965 GENTOSQ 3,186,765

METHOD OF MAKING A BRUSH Filed April 17, 1963 FIG. 61

FIG. 7 FIG.

United States Patent 3,186,765 METHGD (3F MAG A BRUSH Andrew L. Gentoso, Cresshiil, NJ, assignor, by mesa-e This invention relates to the process of making brushes, and more particularly relates to the process of making cosmetic brushes in which the bristles are disposed in a fan shaped pattern.

A cosmetic brush of the character contemplated by the present invention is particularly suited for applying powder to the face. The fan shape of the bristle body is ideally suited for such application because it enables the rapid and smooth coverage of a light powdered material over the skin. In cosmetic brushes it is essential that the bristles be soft in nature; such bristles are expensive, and it is therefore important to avoid any damage to the bristles in the course of attaching the bristles to a handle. Also it is extremely important that the bristles not be cut and thus shed in the course of using the brush.

A process of forming a fan shaped cosmetic brush which has heretofore been tried, but without success, has involved the slitting of the outer, larger diameter end of a frusto-conical metal ferrule at diametrically opposite sides, then inserting-the inner end of a bundle of bristles into said end of the ferrule and finally compressing that end of the ferrule together to flatten the same and squeeze the bristles, with the edges of the slits being at the side edges of the flattened portions. This has been found to result in serious cutting of the bristles in the region of the slits in the course of producing the brush and also in the course of its use. I

In another process which has been used for forming fan shaped cosmetic brushes, the bristle receiving end of a frusto-conical metal ferrule has been pressed together at the bristle holding end and then has been die cut to enable said end to assume a fan shapewhen pressed together to retain the bundle of bristles inserted therein. The ferrule, prior to the insertion of the bristle body has been opened and deburred. A bristle body has then been inserted and arranged to take a fan shape when the end of the ferrule has again been pressed together to hold the bristles in the fan shaped pattern. While a fan shaped pattern has been achieved by this method, the edges of the out metal ferrule have tended to be sharp and even after deburring tend to cut the bristles, either when the brush has been initially formed or when it has been used in stroking the bristles back and forth. Moreover, an excessive number of steps have been required to complete the final brush.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method for forming a fan shaped cosmetic brush which requires fewer steps than previously known processes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for forming a fan shaped brush having improved distribution and support of the bristles, with a minimum tendency of severing the bristles in the course of producing the brush and in its use.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a process for forming a fan shaped brush using a metal ferrule in which sharp edges of the ferrule are eliminated so that the bristles are protected from cutting.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method ice Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following more detailed description of the invention given in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a ferrule before processing to achieve the purposes of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the ferrule of FIGUREI, taken generally along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of one embodiment of the ferrule of this invention after formation of laterally extending ears thereon as the first step in the process;

. FIGURE 4 is a plan view showing the form of the top of the ferrule of FIGURE 3 taken generally along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the ferrule of FIGURE 3, taken from one side of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the brush of this invention prior to assembly of the various parts; I 7

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the brush of this invention after assembly; and

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the assembled brush of this invention.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by forming a metal ferrule which is substantially frustoconical in shape into a new shape which is adapted to receive and to hold bristles in a fan shaped pattern. The ferrule is preferably formed of light gauge steel, but copper, brass, aluminum, and other suitable metals or alloys may be substituted therefor. Of particular importance is that the metal employed shall be capable of bending, and possibly stretching into the desired form without cracking or splitting in the course of giving the ferrule its desired final form. I 7

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, ferrule It) before processing is of generally frusto-conical form, substantially uniformly increasing the size from its small diameter end 12 to its large diameter end 14.

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 show ferrule 10 after the large diameter end 14 has been expanded to form laterally extending ears 16, 18. Ears 16, It; may be formed, for instance, by use of a plunger, mandrel or other tool forced axially into the large diameter end of the ferrule and, when ferrule 19 is viewed from the top, as shown in FIGURE 4, there will be formed a plurality of tangent segments 20, 22, 24, 26 merging into arcuate segments 28, 3t). Tangent segments 2%), 22 are joined by a short radius arcuate segment 32. Tangent segments 24, 26 are joined by a similar arcuate segment 34. As seen in FIG- URE 3, the ears in side elevation are flared outwardly at 36, 33 and merge smoothly into the main frusto-conical wall of the ferrule, indicated by the lines til, 42, at points 44, 4-5. In front elevation the larger end 48 of the ferrule, after the forming treatment described, is slightly arcuate and merges smoothly into the outer ends of flared portions 36, 3% at points 56, 52. FIGURE 5 shows in side elevation the configurations of tangent segments 26, 22, arcuate segment 32 and point 44. As shown in FIG- URES 3, 4 and 5 the larger end 14, after expansion into end 48, is formed of a series of curves having no sharp one end into a solid 'mass 57, for example with a resin.

Mass 57 has a small cross sectional area to enable it to be inserted into ferrule Ill for a suitable distance. Bonding the bristles together at one'end aids in assembly of the bristle body into the ferrule.

ferrule it? in order to form a completed brush; After Bristle body 56'is shown, in position ready for insertion into expanded end 48 of handle 54 is inserted, ferrule 10 is compressed at points 58, 68% FIGURE 7) in order to tightly retain handle 54. After insertion of bristle body 56, the large end of ferrule 10 is Compressed to hold the bristles in place. The compression of the ferrule produces the desired fan shaped pattern. Y

As. shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, in the completed brush of this invention the large diameter end of ferrule 10 is flattened to form bristle retaining segments62 on both sides of the bristle body. Bristle retaining segments 62 extend from end 64 to points of inflection 66. Itis particularly important to note that ferrule 10, after forming and pressing, itself assumes a substantially fan-like shape. The fan-like shaped segments 68, 70, which result from flattening ears 16, 18 aid in guiding the bristles into the desired fan shaped pattern and in retaining them in such position after compression. Furthermore, bristle retaining segments 62 whichhave a' depth of extension from end 64 to points of inflection 66 aid in retaining the bristles in position throughout the entire width of their pattern and also support the individual bristles in the longitudinal direction.

In the production of [the fan shaped brush of this invention the following steps are employed. A frustoconical metallic ferrule is expanded at one end to form oppositely disposed ears. A bristle body is adhesively bonded together at one end and then is inserted into the expanded end of the metal ferrule. The larger end of the ferrule is compressed across'its shorter dimension. That is, the larger end is compressed at right angles to an'axis through the most distantly separated portions of the ears. A handle is inserted in the small end of the ferrule, and the ferrule is compressed to retain the handle.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention'in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible withinthe scope of the invention claimed. a

What is claimed is: i 1. 'A method of forming a fan shaped brush comprising expanding the larger end of a metallic frusto-conical ferrule to form two oppositely disposed ears extending outwardly from a substantially circular central opening,

inserting a bristle body in said larger end of the ferrule through said substantially circular opening, compressing said end in a direction perpendicular to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of said ferrule and the outer ends of said ears to form fan-shaped flattened segments in contact with opposite facesof said bristle body whereby said bristle body is retained in a fan shape, and attaching a handle to the smaller end of said ferrule.

' 2. A method of forming a fan shaped brush comprising expanding the larger end of a metallic frusto-conical ferrule to form two oppositely disposed ears, bonding a plurality of bristles together at one end to form a bristle body, inserting said bristle body in said larger end of the ferrule, compressing said end in a direct-ion perpendicular to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of said ferrule and the outer ends of said ears to form fan-shaped flattened segments in contact with opposite faces of said bristle body whereby said bristle body is retained in a fan shape, and attachinga handle to the smaller end of said ferrule.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 573,711 12/96 Schuck 15-192 602,077 4/98 Hascy 15-191 680,394 8/01 Pavlick 15-171 932,899 8/09 Plunkett 15-171 1,595,726 8/26 Pierce 15-160 1,826,268 10/31 Wilkins. 2,247,041 6/41 Bergan 29-517 X 2,251,626 8/41 Hertzberg 15-160 2,314,306 3/43 Cave 300-21 2,391,077 12/45 Sticht 300-21 2,485,823 10/49, Goldrich 84-422 2,521,269 9/50 Turnes -1 132-85 2,696,628 12/54 Smith 15-171 2,844,835 7/58 enyak 15-181 X 2,964,045 12/60 Otto et al 132-85 3,100,315 8/63 Laxalt 132-81 X FOREIGN PATENTS 267,437 3/27 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH,'Primar-y Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF FORMING A FAN SHAPED BRUSH COMPRISING EXPANDING THE LARGER END OF A METALLIC FRUSTO-CONICAL FERRULE TO FORM TWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED EARS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CENTRAL OPENING, INSERTING A BRISTLE BODY IN SAID LARGER END OF THE FERRULE THROUGH SAID SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR OPENING, COMPRESSING SAID END IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO A PLANE CONTAINING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FERRULE AND THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID EARS TO FORM FAN-SHAPED FLATTENED SEGMENTS IN CONTACT WITH OPPOSITE FACES OF SAID BRISTLE BODY WHEREBY SAID BRISTLE BODY IS RETAINED IN A FAN SHAPE, AND ATTACHING A HANDLE TO THE SMALLER END OF SAID FERRULE.. 